TechResorthttp://techresorteb.com
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 16:58:15 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.14http://techresorteb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cropped-tr-icon-57px-32x32.pngTechResorthttp://techresorteb.com
3232Get free help!http://techresorteb.com/can-we-help-you/
http://techresorteb.com/can-we-help-you/#respondWed, 21 Aug 2019 21:51:50 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2143We’ve been running workshops for the community for over 5 years now and in that time we’ve covered a multitude of creative and digital subjects:

From basic digital literacy for adults, through data and project management, and skills in Word and Excel through beginners coding with block-based languages to electronics and robotics. We also have a wide range of artistic digital equipment (cameras, animation software, sound recorders and software) which we use in some of our workshops.

Out in the community we’ve designed and led sessions to build air quality sensors, introduced young people and adults to the joy of 3D design and printing, helped a local school build a rover vehicle and program a Raspberry Pi computer to take photographs remotely.

We’ve worked with scouts and guides, schools and libraries and community groups to learn more about the digital world.

Now we’re delighted to have been given a grant by the Sussex Community Foundation to run a programme which will make our skills, our staff, and our equipment available, free of charge, to help YOU with your project.

If you’re a state school, a community library, a voluntary organisation or other community group who would like some assistance then now is your time to ask us to work with you.

What sort of thing can we do for you?

We can’t give you a complete list of everything possible but here are some examples:

train your volunteers or staff to improve their digital skills so they can help your clients better.

help you start an after-school Code Club or help your guides or scouts to complete their digital skills badges

run a digital pop up to help your clients improve essential digital skills

deliver some of our fanstastic hands-on workshops for adults or children who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to tinker

Running sessions from our own base at East Sussex College will allow for the widest range of activities but we may also be able to bring our Elves and our kit to you.

So, how do you get us involved? It’s really simple: just send an email to info@techresorteb.com with an outline of your potential project and we’ll take a look. We’ll follow up as quickly as we can with suggestions, information and (probably) a few questions.

We’re hoping to work with 5 – 10 different organisations between September 2019 and August 2020. Our grant is for a finite amount (obviously) so we’ll be looking for projects where we can have quite a big impact – both directly and indirectly. But we’ll help you develop the idea, so don’t be afraid to ask.

]]>http://techresorteb.com/can-we-help-you/feed/03D Printinghttp://techresorteb.com/3d-printing/
http://techresorteb.com/3d-printing/#respondMon, 22 Apr 2019 14:00:57 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2139East Sussex College IT students are preparing a presentation about TechResort and they’ve asked us for a video of our 3D printer working. We love 3D printing and adore an excuse to take photos or videos…so here it is:

]]>http://techresorteb.com/3d-printing/feed/0Tip of the Dayhttp://techresorteb.com/tip-of-the-day/
http://techresorteb.com/tip-of-the-day/#respondWed, 17 Apr 2019 12:12:20 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2130We frequently run sessions where the attendees want or need to keep their work from week to week.

TechResort has a fleet of laptops and even though they have unique numbers, it’s a pain to find the laptop you were using last week. With Raspberry Pi computers the whole of your operating system, application data and your programming files all fit onto an SD card (like you use in cameras and phones) so it’s best to be able to use the same one when you’re working on projects.

We have a file server and we could keep data on that but it’s often not appropriate or it can be technically tricky. So we routinely use removable media.

The difficulty comes in labeling…

Modern media is so small that it’s actually quite hard to label it meaningfully. So, over time, we’ve developed approaches that work really well for us:

USB sticks

Always buy sticks that are in one piece and have a ring for attaching stuff to it.

Make laminated blank labels an attach them to the USB sticks with a small, cheap cable tie.

Get session attendees to write their name on the label with a Sharpie (other permanent markers are available)

Put them in a box or a drawer for that session and kids can retrieve them from week to week.

Periodically copy the data from the sticks to a server

At the end of a course labels can be cleaned with a little Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and the USB sticks wiped to be used again.

SD Cards

Always buy micro SD cards with a adapters – they’re usually a tiny bit more expensive but that’s easily made up for by not losing as many

By having the micro SD/adapter combo you can use the cards in a wider range of devices (old Pis are standard SD, new ones are micro)

Buy individual plastic cases for the cards and keep cards in them

Label them with a Sharpie

If you’re using them in Raspberry Pi sessions consider backing up the home directory to USB sticks, too.

There’s a side benefit to making attendees save their files in a specific place – they learn the habit of taking responsibility for their files (mostly).

Mind you we still need to close each session with “don’t forget to check your files are where you thought you put them”.

]]>http://techresorteb.com/tip-of-the-day/feed/0Coding Transitionhttp://techresorteb.com/coding-transition/
http://techresorteb.com/coding-transition/#respondThu, 28 Mar 2019 13:59:40 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2117We’re working with West Rise Junior School at the moment. Last year we built a Marsh Rover with them and this year they’d like the Rover to be able to take pictures whilst it’s out and about.

We reckoned the best way to do this would be with a Raspberry Pi single board computer and a Raspberry Pi camera. These devices make it really easy to control picture-taking.

All the children in the group already know how to code with Scratch but everyone was a little nervous (teachers included) when we suggested that Python was a more effective language for this particular task.

We’ve had conversations with educators who are concerned that youngsters are encouraged to code with block-based languages but find the transition to text-based code very hard and, potentially, off-putting.

We like trying things out in a small way and seeing how they work so we decided to approach teaching our little group Python in very small steps, starting from things they know.

We prepared some coding examples by giving them Python code to type but above it showed them how it would look in Scratch to see if it helped them to work out what the code would do. It’s not something we’ve seen elsewhere – although we’re pretty sure other people must take the same approach.

It’s early days, of course (and sometimes it’s *really* hard to translate directly between languages) but it was a hit! One lad even going as far as saying he doesn’t really like coding in Scratch but wanted to do more Python.

Our session leaders are DBS-checked and their main responsibility is making sure that all attendees are safe and happy.

Fiona has been with TechResort for a few years: starting as a volunteer, then as a session assistant and now as a leader to cover sessions when the usual leader for the session isn’t available.

At the moment, Fiona mainly supports our Hastings programme and the Eastbourne Library Code Club but from time to time you’ll see her at other sessions taking on a leaders’ role.

It’s great to see our staff gain confidence and then feel able to take on more responsibility.

Well done, Fiona!

]]>http://techresorteb.com/welcome-fiona/feed/0Our Makerspace – All the Other Stuffhttp://techresorteb.com/our-makerspace-all-the-other-stuff/
http://techresorteb.com/our-makerspace-all-the-other-stuff/#respondThu, 21 Mar 2019 15:54:27 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2108Whenever I read a list of all the kit a makerspace has besides having lasercutter envy, I must admit I miss seeing details of the little, almost insignifcant things that the space has to fill the gaps between the fancy machines and the code.

We have “The Cupboard of Everything” as well as lots of other shelves and cabinets.

We were really lucky that we had a grant to pay for the setup of our space and that included budget for equipment. We made a conscious decision to try and design for an approach that meant if someone said “do you have a…<….> so that I can make a <…..>” we would be able to supply the thing, or at least a solution for not having the actual thing.

This basis has served us really, really well.

In no particular order…and not complete, here is a list of stuff you’ll find around our space (most likely in the Cupboard of Everything, if you happen to be looking)

On Tuesday it allowed our Elves to help a couple of young session attendees build some battery-operated truck chassis just because they fancied learning about motors and electronics. When I came in the lab today and was told about it I have to say it left me with a big smile – it’s exactly what we want to happen.

Now – it makes it difficult to keep our lab tidy but we have loads of basic metal shelving and many, many plastic storage boxes (we use Wham stackable boxes because we happened to find some very inexpensively in a local shop). We label the boxes and have a list so we can direct people to the right place. Mind you it has to be said that when someone says “Where are the HDMI cables?” the answer they’re most likely to get is “In the box labelled HDMI cables“…but you get the gist.

Over time we’ve also developed some basic responses to problems:

Making sure someone’s project kit stays together and doesn’t get “borrowed for something else”Projects stored in their own project box with the name of the person on it. No one is allowed to nick stuff from it.

Small parts getting lost, muddled, or whateverSupply of 500/750ml takeaway boxes (we buy brand new ones) to keep little things in
Also great for making scribbling machines for a community session.

Old batteries for recycling; small 3D prints to be collected, temporary display of notes, spare ID lanyardsSmall strong magnets affixed to a steel cabinet side – can easly hold plastic bags of batteries, and other things besides.

Keeping attendees’ work from week to week without access to a file serverUSB sticks, laminated name label, cable tie – all stored in a session box or in a drawer.

Identifying Raspbian image SD cardsBuy plastic SD card cases and write on them with a Sharpie – cost easily makes up for the ease of labelling/finding.

I’d really love to learn this stuff from other makerspaces since it’s taken us years to work these things out for ourselves. I know it’s not the most eye catching topic but these are the things that save us so much time and hassle.

]]>http://techresorteb.com/our-makerspace-all-the-other-stuff/feed/0Welcome West Risehttp://techresorteb.com/welcome-west-rise/
http://techresorteb.com/welcome-west-rise/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 17:00:47 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2103Today we welcomed a new group of West Rise Junior pupils for the first of a few terms’ worth of after school coding/engineering club (actually, we haven’t given the session an official title).

Two teachers volunteer to bring them over and take them back to school after the club and enthusiastically join in with the group.

Last year’s group helped to build a basic RC rover vehicle – it still needs some work to make it reliable but it broadly works.

This year we’re looking at equipping the rover with a Raspberry Pi and Pi Camera to take pictures when it’s out and about doing its stuff.

The club doesn’t last very long so we have to break things down into very small chunks and try and take things from bits and pieces they already know and out into new skills and knowledge.

So today, after taking a look at the Rover, our young attendees met their first Raspberry Pis. We gave them a monitor, keyboard, mouse, SD card and various cables and told them to put it all together without any instructions (possibly the odd hint, here and there). They aced it!

We know from experience that most kids love the act of assembling the Pi and peripherals and although it takes a fair while, it’s an activity well worth doing at least once.

Once assembled, there was just enough time to code the Scratch cat to parade across the stage (or, in one case, psychadelic cat) and then it was time to go.

We’re already looking forward to next week when we’re going to try a little bit of Python.

Our colour laserprinter is a quiet workhorse in the corner of our lab. Most of our sessions rely on printed scripts for attendees to follow and so we need a reliable printer. We chose an HP colour laser printer which is designed for small workgroups and it’s wired into our network. It’s has a duplexing unit so it can print on both sides of the paper so we try and keep paper-use down a little bit.

We also have a consumer inkjet printer which prints to photographic quality and a monochrome laser printer. Neither as well-used as the colour laser but they have their place.

Hints & tips: some printers refuse to work as soon as they detect that ink/toner is low. We like our HP printer because it warns us about toner level but doesn’t insist we change it. We change the cartridges only once we notice print quality decline. We usually get a couple of months’ extra life from toner in this way.

3D printing

Our 3D sessions are immensely popular and we often make parts for other projects. We now have 3 printers:

A Robox 1st generation small printer which made set up and printing very simple for beginners.

An Ultimaker 2+Extended printer which has a large build volume, loads of an active open-source user community and loads of quality features

A Tiertime Up Mini 2 printer which is a fully enclosed, small and light printer with a carrying handle so that we can take it out to sessions at other locations

We use the Ultimaker the most but it does need a dry, warm environment to work at its best. The Up Mini 2 had a shaky start since it failed (twice) very shortly after we got it. Now, however, it does good service at “away” sessions.

We’re still very fond of the Robox printer but it has become cranky and difficult and so has to be closely monitored. As a result it’s currently on my kitchen table and is pressed into service when a project needs a long/overnight print which we can’t leave running in our lab.

Generally we use PLA filament since it’s the most reliable. ABS is good but we find it a bit finicky to work with. We’ve also tried TPE (flexible) filament but need to spend more time with it to learn how to get the best from it.

Bed adhesion can be a problem on the Ultimaker but we use Dimafix: a miracle substance which is sticky when hot, but not when cold. Means it holds your print firmly whilst printing but lets go as it cools. Genius!

Our 3D printers are safe for use by young people with a bit of caution. We think it’s really important for youngsters to learn all aspects of the technology they’re using so we train them how to use them and what bits they need to be careful with.

Hints and tips: sticking to one type of filament is probably the best way to ensure your 3D printer works smoothly. Storing filament in inexpensive vacuum storage bags with some silica gel helps keep it in good condition.

CNC Router

Sometimes you want to cut materials with precision. We bought a kit CNC router on a large bed base to allow us to cut and carve a variety of things.

We’re lucky that we have a confident engineer who is happy to learn and build things. Over a period of a couple of weeks he built our router and learned how to use it. During that time he also determined that it wasn’t the sort of machine many people should be using on their own. As a result we encourage people to design for it – but Sam actually machines the project.

We’ve built frames and signs, we’ve milled out windows in enclosures and RF antennae from PCB material. We don’t use it all that often but it’s the perfect tool for the job when we do!

We bought a laser-cutting attachment for it but we haven’t used it because it scares us a bit!

Hints and Tips: Make sure you know where the big red kill button is – especially if you forgot to home the stepper motors before you started. Also it makes a LOT of noise and mess – place it accordingly.

Other Machines & Tools

If you’re encouraging people to make things, you need to be mindful they’ll need certain tools. Here’s a rundown of what we have:

Pillar drill: This looks a bit scary if you’ve never used one but it’s easier than a hand drill – especially when you’re teaching youngsters how to drill.

Hand drill: We favour a cordless drill for maximum flexibility. As well as drilling holes in things and tightening screws ours is frequently put to work in making up twisted-pair wires.

Hot air gun: One of these is vital if you’re using heat shrink tubing on wires. We tried using a hair-dryer (too cool), a paint-stripping gun (too hot) and a soldering iron (too inconsistent and gets muck on your tip) before buying a proper one.

Staple Gun: Great for attaching fabric to a wooden frame, or posters to a noticeboard but needs to be kept away from small hands. It’s terrifying!

Bench Power Supplies: For some projects, or to learn about electricity you need a mains powered, safe and reliable power supply. We’ve got a mixture of single and double ones and they get used a lot. They protect against short circuits and are voltage and current limited to make sure no one gets too daft with them.

Sewing Machine: For projects with an element of sewing in them you need a sewing machine. We bought a starter machine. It’s great for basic sewing tasks. Make sure to keep all the extra pieces of kit away from the rest of the lab’s kit – the pieces will be repurposed for other jobs and really, fabric scissors need to be kept just for fabric!

Vacuum Cleaner: Possibly rather unexciting as tools go but if you’re cutting anything you’ll make a mess. Encouraging workspace users to clean up the mess they create is made easier with a vacuum cleaner near to hand. Actually, we have two: one small and light and one a bit heavier duty.

If we had our time again we’d probably have bought a lasercutter as well. We currently don’t really have the space (or the spare cash) for one but it’s definitely on our wishlist.

Our next post on this subject will list “all the other stuff” that our makerspace has ended up housing.

]]>http://techresorteb.com/our-makerspace-other-kit/feed/0Our Makerspace – part deux!http://techresorteb.com/makerspace-part-deux/
http://techresorteb.com/makerspace-part-deux/#respondFri, 15 Feb 2019 10:53:43 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2060In the last post we went through the various forms of computers we have in our space.

Now we’re going to cover the microcontrollers.

Microcontrollers are, generally, simpler pieces of computing equipment than computers. You don’t program them directly – you use another computer to upload code to them. They’re optimised for interfacing with the real world via buttons, sensors, lights, motors and things like that. They generally get programmed to do a single job at a time.

Microcontrollers are a great way for beginner programmers to get into coding for the physical world.

We were inspired to buy some CodeBugs when we were looking for kit that would be suitable for young makers. Our fleet of Codebugs have been used numerous times for sessions and for a window display we had in our previous building. They’re small and attractive and have an LED array built-in along with buttons. Programmed using a block-based language, they’re great for beginners. They can also be connected, by croc clips, to buttons, LEDs and other components. One of our best set of sessions was with a two classes of year 4 pupils who got really got the coding bug (if you excuse the pun).

In use: Codebugs are generally programmed via a website so you need internet connectivity.

BBC micro:bits are also small devices. They were designed as part of an initiative by the BBC to get more young people participating in digital creation as well as consumption. Similar to the CodeBug but a little more feature-rich, they have built in Bluetooth and radio communications as well as an accelerometer to measure movement.

In use: The main programming method is via a web application but you have a choice of languages. There are some third-party editors which are available to download and use locally.

Igloo sewable microcontroller boards are very low-cost boards and are based on a well-established microcontroller chipset (PIC chipset). the coding platform is a discrete piece of software and coding can be done with block-based commands.

In use: although the boards are very inexpensive, they need a special programming cable which is quite pricey. It’s not a problem if you’re programming a fleet of boards but it’s a downside for turning into something into a class-pack.

Our main microcontroller is actually a family of boards: Arduino. They come in several formats each with slightly different features – from the original “Uno” board, via third party variations for sewable projects (Flora, Lilypad, Gemma) to boards with special features such as the Flora MP3 player device. They also come in a variety of sizes including a tiny “Trinket” board which would be useful for small projects. To program them you install the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) with its built in examples and support for a huge variety of compatible boards. Arduino language is similar to the “C” language.

In use: It’s quite a big leap from block-based microcontroller programming to a full text-based language but traditional programmers often find this less frustrating.

TheParticleplatform isn’t just about the microcontrollers but an online support platform for Internet of Things (IoT) projects wher you can connect devices in the real world to the internet and use them to monitor and/or control things remotely. We’ve used the Photon microcontrollers but these have been superceded by better specified hardware. Microcontrollers are programmable using the same language as Arduino controllers (although generally you program them via a web-based platform) and it’s really simple to get IoT projects up and running.

In use: Use of the Particle platform is free for basic features but commissioning the devices can be a bit fiddly when you’re using multiple platform accounts

Of course – it’s not just about the controller boards…you have to have things to control.

We have LEDs of various shape, size, colour and brightness and we even have programmable strips of LEDs.

Piezo electric sounders/buzzers for when your project needs a bit of noise output

Solderless circuit boards – usually known as breadboards – are great for prototyping circuits and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Switches and buttons – some which stay switched, others that don’t. Worth having a variety of them for different projects

Sensors: there are a huge variety of sensor types out there. We’ve used temperature, sound, humity, colour, infrared, touch and vibration sensors (to name but a few). Sensors that are mounted on boards with interfaces in place are usually the best to use because that generally makes them easier to use with microcontrollers.

Interfaces to online platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Dropbox are really useful as you build your applications. Look for platforms that have an application programming interface (API) which allow you to incorporate calls to the external platform from within your microcontroller code.

IFTTT (If this then that) is a special platform that allows you to interface various other platforms to do things like send emails, post to social media, etc. It can be a really simple (but not very fast) way to integrate different bits of a project.

Finally – as well as smart stuff and software we have a wide range of standard electronic components such as resistors, jumper wires, relays and transistors and we have good quality tools like temperature-c0ntrolled soldering irons (and colophony-free solder), wire cutters and pliers.

We try and keep the lab tidy (we don’t always manage it, though) and a whole bunch of component drawers, labelled and logged helps us do that (mostly).

Next time: Other machines…

]]>http://techresorteb.com/makerspace-part-deux/feed/0The Importance of Fundinghttp://techresorteb.com/the-importance-of-funding/
http://techresorteb.com/the-importance-of-funding/#respondThu, 07 Feb 2019 08:58:04 +0000http://techresorteb.com/?p=2093As we’re coming to the end of an important project it’s a good time to remember that, without charitable funding, organisations like TechResort simply couldn’t do its work.

Our InfoFi project which has been a key part of what we’ve been doing with some of our young workers and attendees was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund – or, as it’s now known “The National Lottery Heritage Fund”.

TechResort is incredibly lucky to be supported, day to day, by local organisations like East Sussex College Group, The Network Factory, Cloud ConnX, and by donors who make donations via our Local Giving page or by directly supporting us in the Eastbourne Lottery. Without all this we really couldn’t hold any public sessions at all – and even then, we have to charge for most sessions which we’d really rather not have to do. But sadly, this support still leaves a big gap in our finances.

With no governmental (national or local) support we turn to grant funders who fit the profile of some of the work we’d like to do – but can’t find the money for. National Lottery Heritage Fund is one such grant-making organisation.

Our “InfoFi” project has allowed some of our young people to learn more about an important heritage building in their town; about the challenges of looking after old buildings; how to work with adult volunteers; how to explain the tech they’ve developed using appropriate language to encourage rather than put-off potential users and, of course, how to design and build a device from concept through prototype to version 1.0.

In addition it’s also given them the opportunity to see how their electronics, coding, design and project management skills can be used in a real-life project and to see how they can bring benefit to a field they might not previously have thought much about.

We would really like to thank the Wish Tower Friends for their enthusiasm, encouragement and support along the way but most of all we’re very grateful to the National Lottery and its players for making this project possible.

We’ll be posting more technical details of InfoFi in our “Things We’ve Made” section very soon.